In recent years, various content services performed via the Internet have come started. Among the content services is a service of distributing the information of programs that radio stations broadcast on terrestrial waves. The user of a terminal apparatus can use the program information thus distributed so that he or she may more readily enjoy listening to music on the terminal apparatus.
For example, a signal to which the program type (PTY) of a program being broadcast must be demodulated by a receiver. As such a receiver, a digital-audio broadcast receiver has been developed (see Patent Document 1). This receiver automatically detects the PTY of any program that the user may frequently selects. Thus, the receiver can automatically and easily select the program, not bothering the user to set the PTY.
The digital-audio broadcast receiver has a demodulating unit that demodulates any signal received, into an audio signal and PTY. The digital-audio broadcast receiver saves the PTY code in a memory when the user pushes a button. The digital-audio broadcast receiver counts the number of times each PTY code is selected, and stores the count into the memory. The digital-audio broadcast receiver can determine which program the user will select frequently, from the number of times the PTY code has been selected.
However, the digital-audio broadcast receiver described in Patent Document 1 cannot display the information items about the programs broadcast in the past, in the form of a list. This is because the receiver displays each program information item only once the moment it receives the program information item. In view of this inconvenience, another type of a digital-audio broadcast receiver has been developed (see Patent Document 2). This receiver automatically stores the information (hereinafter referred to as “related information”) about the music the user is listening to. The receiver records the related information if the user keeps listening to the music longer than a preset time.
Patent Document 1: Jpn. Pat. Appln. Laid-open Publication No. 8-330911
Patent Document 2: Jpn. Pat. Appln. Laid-Open Publication No. 11-122199
At present, various services concerning music are provided in the Internet. Among these services are the distribution of music data that users want and the acceptance of purchase orders for music compact discs (CDs) from users. To use such services, a user must operate a terminal apparatus to designate the music or CD title he or she wants.
It is proposed that any consumer electronics (CE) apparatus connected to the Internet should store information related to the music being played back, such as the title of the music. If the CE apparatus stores the related information, the user only needs to designate this information to receive the service in connection with the music.
The conventional CE apparatus stores information items, each concerning a musical piece that has been FM-broadcast and enjoyed by the user. This may be inconvenient to the user in some cases. That is, the user must listen to the program to the very end thereof. Otherwise, the information related to all musical pieces broadcast in the program cannot be stored in the CE apparatus.